Reflecting Light
by EarthlessHeart
Summary: After being apart from Shadow for nine years, Amy Rose is enjoying her life in Central City and *finally* having a steady relationship with Sonic. But when Shadow comes back in town, feelings of rage, confusion, and an odd relief sweeps over Amy. She claims she doesn't want anything to do with him, but after finally reuniting, it's as though time never went by. ShadXAmy
1. Chapter 1: Big News

_Author's Note: Hello friends! It's Elizabeth, back again from her disappearing act of 2014... again. As you can see, I'm back on here again, and after a long while of not writing, I've finally found myself inspired to make more fan-fiction. I know I keep leaving you guys, but I'm going to try to be better in terms of updating. I had lost the drive to write anything, and even this chapter alone was a compete struggle. I hope you guys can continue to support me and enjoy the content I provide. :) I introduce to you: Reflecting Light._

**Chapter 1: Big News**

Amy Rose stared at the ceiling of her one-bedroom apartment and heaved a sigh. Her chest rose slowly with the steady breathing she attempted to maintain, but it was no use. The morning finally peered through her window, "I have to get up." She lifted herself from her bed and stretched; being in bed for so long was never her style, but since working late nights at _The Dancing Baroness_, she's been avoiding the calls of her alarms in the morning.

Living in Central City all her life, things have definitely changed from years ago when she was younger; more modernized and has since been relinquished of Eggman's tyranny, things have been calm and touristy, as a matter of fact. More nightlife breathes through the city, as more restaurants, cafes, and clubs extend their hours to accommodate the public need, and it was only natural of Amy to take up a job that would provide well to fuel her moderately comfortable lifestyle.

She checked her phone and saw that she had a missed call from Rouge the Bat, her best friend of many years. She and Rouge have been through the most together, from middle school and beyond, that even after so many years, they remain close. The message read:

'**Get your ass out of bed and meet me at Alonzo's! I have some news for you. ;)**'

Amy couldn't help but grimace at the message: what could she want? Whenever Rouge said it in such an "over-enthusiastic" sort of way, it always made Amy nervous. Even in her mind, she could see the saucy bat's suspicious wink, and she knew it meant trouble. She saw that the message was from 9:30, and after checking her lock screen, she realized she was way past late. 10:45. Shit.

She quickly went through her closet and threw on the easiest outfit she can assemble on a hot summer day in Central City: she combed her long pink quills from the matted mess that was from her slumber and threw on a red tube top and jean shorts. Amy has always been well- aware of her small frame, but even at 21, she always hoped that she would grow in... certain areas. She was definitely no Rouge, whose body was just a roadmap of bumps and curves in all the right places; for God's sakes, her chest defied so much physics, Amy always thought it's something that needed to be scientifically studied. She looked at herself in the mirror and grasped her own chest, perking them up slightly, until she sighed in defeat, letting her generously sized breasts fall, "... Why am I so flat..."

She shook her head away from the thoughts as soon as she saw the time, "Shit! I gotta go!" And with her keys in her hand while her dignity in the other, she left out the door.

"Hey! Sorry, I'm so late. Did you wait long?"

Amy approached an outdoor table of Alonzo's, an "Italian-themed" coffee spot that's always been the ladies' go-to whenever it came to impromptu dates. There, sipping her drink, was the voluptuous moonlit-skinned mammal, who definitely looked appropriate for the summer weather: her short hair curved outward from her face to displace the heat while wearing a simple black tank and jeans. Since her sunglasses were sitting on top of her head, one could see that even in the heat, she didn't shy away from her usual blue eyeshadow and pink gloss that she's been sporting since high school. She looked up at Amy and rolled her eyes, "My, my, look who finally decided to check her phone." Amy laughed, grabbing a seat and sitting across from her, "Sorry! I got home pretty late last night; we didn't close till 3 and I couldn't leave Morris to close by himself."

"But it's so ridiculous that you're always worn out! That fat-ass has been doing just fine closing by himself, there is no reason he needed to make you stay that long."

"We had a packed house yesterday! There's no way!"

Rouge groaned and placed a hand on the temples of her head, "I just wish you didn't have to be working so hard. I told you you could stay with me at my place if you wanted to save your money—"

Amy released a chuckle, picking up a menu that sat beside them at the table, "Ooooh yeah: I'm totally gonna move in, MOM... but didn't you forget one teensy little thing?"

Rouge peeked back up from her phone.

"... What?"

"Oh, I don't know... you're PERHAPS MARRIED?"

"OH YEAH! I forgot about that one, haha!" Rouge said as she released a hearty laugh

and smiled widely. "He's hardly home anyway! You'd be keeping me company and I could keep you fed! See? It'd be a win-win for both of us!"

Amy reflected a grin, "Yeah, but I don't know how to feel about moving in with you and Knuckles. You guys have only been married for a year, and it just doesn't seem right."

She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of admiration, "You guys should enjoy the honeymoon phase while it lasts~ I don't want to get in the way of that at all."

Rouge glanced down at her drink, staring at it in a daydream. "Yeah, I guess you could say I'm one of the lucky ones..." she said in a low voice and followed it with a sip of her drink. "But since you're finally here... I have shit to tell you."

Amy blinked, and scooted closer to her best friend, "... Shit on who?"

Rouge sighed, and began stirring her drink with her straw, "I guess I should ask you first... but, have you heard of anyone coming back to town lately?"

The pink hedgehog leaned back on her chair and pondered, '_In town'? Was there someone coming?'_ "Hm... What, is Cream back from school? I thought she wasn't coming till next year—"

Rouge's eyes widened, but then closed them as she took another sip of her drink, "Well, I shouldn't be surprised... that's why I called ya to begin with. It's about the S-word..."

Amy placed her hands underneath her chin, "... What, are Sonic's friends in the city again? You know, I'm really so damn tired of Vector—"

The bat's composure was anything but patient, and with Amy's naiveté, she couldn't contain herself anymore, "I'm not talking about DUMBASS VECTOR, I'm talking about SHADOW BEING BACK."

Amy froze in place; she could feel the color from her cheeks muting and her hands losing its warmth. "Shadow? H-He's back? Shadow's... back?"

She felt her voice crack and her consciousness fizzle; she felt herself slipping so far away from the light, that she reached for Rouge's drink and chugged it. Rouge laughed, "So... tell me: what are you gonna do?"

Amy spat her drink out, "D-Do!? Do w-what!?"

Rouge leaned in towards her. "Oh, face it: you guys have the WORST sexual tension I've ever seen! Y'all need to fuck and get it over with."

The petite rose blushed rapidly, trying to contain her composure, "W-What!? N-No way! Besides! I'm with S-Sonic now, s-so why should I c-care if S... Shadow's back..."

Amy sighed; she felt her heart beat a million miles a minute and she didn't know how to think. "Besides! That chapter is WAY over! We were playing the same song and dance for years and we finally decided on how to handle it."

"Oh, that's a crock of shit and you know it," rebutted Rouge, "Come on, Amy! We all know that the real reason he left was because of—"

Amy rose from her seat that instant, interrupting her mid-speech, "He left because he wanted to. I already said that I have nothing more to say on the matter and I really don't want to be reminded of this crap, especially when it's literally been years!"

The two women stared at each other for what seemed to be the longest while until Rouge chuckled, breaking the silence, "… Look, I didn't bring it up to upset you. There's a reason why he's here."

Amy took to her seat once more, "Yeah? What for? You know you can just say her name, it doesn't bother me anymore."

"Yeah, but…"

"But nothing! Look, I understand what you're trying to do for me, but it's really unnecessary! Did he come back to see Maria? Because if that's the case, why does any of that have to do with me? Me and Sonic are perfectly happy together and I would appreciate it if you can just give me the reader's digest of it all and just be out with it!"

Amy felt the annoyance radiate in her face. The thought of the old acquaintance made her dizzy with increased anger. All these years that have passed, she was finally able to move on from a confusing fling that wasn't even going to go anywhere in the first place, so why is it that people continue to incessantly bring him up to her? She's happy, he's happy (from what she's heard), and she preferred the distance they had in their social circle.

Rouge began to sweat, fanning herself with a manicured hand, "Will ya simmer down a tad and cut the self-deprecation? See, I knew you were gonna be like this the moment his name popped…"

Amy parted her lips to reply, but seeing Rouge's annoyed expression, she swallowed her words. She knew she was being ridiculous, but the thought of… _him_… being in the same city as her just placed her in an out-of-the-ordinary mood. She thought she made peace with her feelings of the past, and yet, here she was, yelling at her friend who merely invited her out to dish about other people's business. Things that had nothing to do with her.

"… I'm sorry. Look, I'm cool, I'm cool. So, tell me…" Amy began, picking up the menu again, "What's he in town for? _Is_ he here to see Maria?"

Rouge reached into her purse that slung on her chair and grabbed her compact. She began to reapply her lip gloss, and as she pressed the doe foot against her lips, she peered over to Amy in a neutral glance, "Turns out Maria died last night."

Metropolis was a hole festered with people who were hungry for the dark, and just as they went about and scoured the town for sex and alcohol, he himself was a fan of the bottle. Any other night, he would've finished up whatever was left at the office, placed the minimal remainders onto his assistants, and then walked home or took a train. Depending on whether or not he felt festive enough, he would visit his favorite bar and have a glass of his favorite bourbon. He would stay, despite the loud company that would visit the bar as he did, and take time to be with himself until he felt ready to pay his bill and leave. But tonight, was a different kind of night.

Today, in general, was a different kind of day. He ended up leaving early due to a straining headache he's been having all week. Despite his assistants' protest of going straight home and resting, he decided to detour towards his favorite bar and sit with his bourbon. The headaches would come sporadically, and although he did think at one point it was because of the daily intake of alcohol, it wasn't just any sort of pain. He remembered this twinge from many years ago, back when he was still… finding himself. He remembered always having visions or flashbacks of memories accompanying these headaches, but this time, nothing really occurred. What he had been hearing, however, is a voice… whispering his name.

_Shadow… Shadow…_

His cellphone began buzzing when he took a swig of his drink. He groaned, dreading the idea of his team calling him for the most trivial thing at work. Why even have assistants if they were just going to continue to pester you all the time? He answered after releasing a sigh, then cleared his throat, "Yes, hello?"

"It's me."

Shadow stopped mid-drink and placed his glass down slowly. "… Gerald?"

"The one and the same."

"I told you I didn't want you calling me."

"Oh, piss off! You should be kissing my ass and be grateful that I'm even bothering to call you."

"For someone that's a self-proclaimed 'genius', I thought you'd at least be smart enough to have some sense of direction and know when your presence isn't wanted."

Gerald Robotnik. The name alone brought Shadow close to an uncontrollable fury. Despite being created by the man, he was the one complicated factor that prevented he and—

"So, son. About Maria."

Shadow's ears perked at the sound of her name. Maria. It's been quite some time since he's seen her last. It was two springs ago before he was gained his current teaching position; he visited Maria at the hospital and was gifted flowers and balloons from her. As infantile as he had thought it was at the moment, it was very much like Maria… Maria.

"… How is she? I know I haven't stopped by in a while, but I take it she's doing well?"

Silence seeped into the connection, which he found surprisingly odd. He continued to fill the emptiness with more chatter, "How did her recent check-up go? I know she had that strange cough last time I saw her, but don't know much beyond that. She tends to shy away from her medical status just so I wouldn't worry."

Gerald maintained his silence; only his breathing can be heard from the other end, which only irritated the hedgehog.

"Look, is there any reason for this? Or are we just going to continue playing nice until one of us hangs up? Because I'll assure you, winner is gonna be me—"

"… I know we've had our differences," interrupted Gerald, "… but that's something that's going to have to be set aside right now."

Shadow stared blankly at his drink, only readjusting his seating position, "… What's this really about, Gerald?"

The same silence. The same damnable silence. Shadow was already ready to toss his phone across the room from how staggering this silence was. He's already feeling mixed emotions about the call alone, until the withered old voice broke out again, "Maria's gone. I just thought you should know that her funeral's going to be held in Central City so you can come say your goodbyes."

Shadow felt his body grow numb. Gerald continued on with the conversation, but all Shadow could hear was just a loud reverberated ringing in his ears. Every sound, every voice, every dim light that was in that bar was all just a jumbled, high pitch ringing in his ears, and he just lost grip on the present before him. He forgot all about his work, his severed relationship with Gerald Robotnik, going home— all of it seemed meaningless to him now. All that was in his mind was Maria's smile. A smile that will no longer shine at him again.

He felt his throat tense up; he tried to gain his composure and his words, but it was no use. He couldn't speak. He understands it all now. The headaches, the voice— it was Maria trying to reach him, and he didn't listen. Even while he was trying to let words spill out, Gerald was already gone. All Shadow was accompanied with was the dial tone to a concluded conversation.

_Editor's Note: HEY! You've reached the end of this chapter! It's so weird to actually complete a chapter when I haven't written in so long (can't you tell?), but this was a lot of fun to make. I love how melodramatic it is and how things are turning out so far. I typically write a lot of SonAmy fanfiction, so it was nice to write outside the box and write for a shipping that I've always had a guilty pleasure for (ain't it obvious yet...?). I originally wanted Shadow to be with Rouge, because I wanted him to have a romantic interest in one of the characters, but it was an instant no-brainer that the one that made the most sense out of everyone would be Maria. Also, as a completely irrelevant side note, I am so proud in how I incorporated Gerald Robotnik. As a quick refresher, Gerald was Maria's grandfather and was the man that created Shadow. Towards the ending, you can tell Shadow has very "interesting" feelings towards his "dad(?)", which will be more obvious in later chapter. If you're into the dramatic, you're in for a hell of a ride. Cheers ~ xo_


	2. Chapter 2: Alerting the Media

**Chapter 2: Alerting the Media**

It was two in the afternoon when Amy Rose arrived back into her apartment, but after sitting at her breakfast nook had the time gone from two to three. '_Maria… Dead? But… how is that even possible? I thought she was doing well…_' Amy thought as she let out a sigh. "God… I can only imagine how he's feeling right now."

She grabbed her phone from the other end of the nook and stared at it. Unlike other times where she would seamlessly open her phone with no hesitation, a heavy cloud of doubt overcame her. "… I don't know if it's even okay for me to call him."

'_What am I saying? Of course, it is. He just lost someone, for crying out loud. Now is not the time for me to be shy. Come on, Amy. Dial him up. Give your condolences'._

Amy sighed once more, growing flustered at herself. What was once a habitual routine that she adored when she was younger, it's grown harder and harder for her to be "casual". She began to remember Rouge's conversation with her only a couple hours before, as it continues to resonate in her mind:

"_Wait, WHAT?!" shouted Amy in disbelief, "You're… you're kidding me, right? W-What happened?"_

_Rouge silenced her with a hush before continuing, "Can you BE any louder? … I don't know what happened, but I got the call from him the night before. He's… not doing so good."_

_Amy's eyes softened in empathy, looking down at her hands, "… How can you tell with that guy? I mean, he always has that same look on his face, so it's always hard to tell, ha-ha…" _

"_I know it's gonna be weird for you," Rouge replied, "… But the reason I'm bringing this up is because I'm gonna need you to NOT be an awkward fucking mess."_

_The pink hedgehog's eyes widened, her ears drooping slightly, "What's that supposed to mean? As though I start crap on purpose."_

_Rouge's eyes kept in contact with hers, severity emanating from them. "Look: you're my best friend, but Shadow is my friend, too. I'm going to be there for him regardless of how you two are, we've discussed this," she said as she placed her compact back in her purse. "I just don't want you to make this about __**you**__. I'm going to need you and Sonic to be sensitive, because Shadow just lost someone that meant the world to him, and we're all going to respect that. Okay?"_

_**Shadow just lost someone that meant the world to him, and we're all going to respect that.**_

Amy ruffled her hair and groaned in frustration: "Am I THAT conceited!? GOD!"

She tossed her phone back onto the breakfast nook and made her way to her love seat, throwing herself into its cushiony comfort. "Like I'm the source of any conflict I've had with him in the past… Please…" muttered Amy under her breath. "…But, she did make a good point about Sonic."

Although she and Sonic have been serious for three years, they still have some "sensitive" triggers, one of them being Shadow. Ever since what had happened many years ago, Amy refuses to revisit any discussions regarding him, so it has always been bliss. And ever since Shadow moved away from Central City, no conflicts have risen from that either, so…

"I wonder how _he's_ going to react to this," whispered Amy under her breath. She rose from her seat and grabbed her phone once more, and without hesitation and doubt, dialed Sonic's number.

"Hey, boss! You got a call!"

Over at the Central News Building, Sonic the Hedgehog swiveled from his seat: in-between his piles of articles that needed revisions, he had anything but time to answer a call. Being editor-in-chief at the paper for two years, he valued his work as he did his time, so anything that was outside of the paper wasn't a priority. He takes pride in overlooking his editors and writers, that sometimes that meant some take-away from his personal time, but he didn't mind it. He has it pretty good, for what it's worth: a steady job, a pretty girlfriend… that's all he needed in life. What he didn't need were disruptions.

"Is it that lead for your story? You know… the one you've been raving about?" he answered as he adjusted his glasses and took an article from the pile to edit. The small sunny-colored fox began to sweat, "U-Uh… I thought I already updated my story with their comments on the La Luna's restructuring… D-Did I not get that to you o-on time…?"

Sonic looked up from his desk again and smiled, "Tails. Don't trip: I'm just busting your balls, man. Who's on the phone?"

Tails M. Prower sighed in defeat, scratching the back of his head, "I wish you'd stop doing that… oh, it's just Amy. She says it's urgent."

The blue hedgehog stopped all sense of movement and answered his desk phone with swiftness, "Hey, Ames. What's going on?"

"**H-Hey… I didn't think you were gonna answer so quickly…"**

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I? I always answer your calls—"

"**Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there, because you actually really don't. You're always leaving me waiting for HOURS!"**

Sonic let out a laugh, "HAHA! Nothin' gets past ya, does it? And I would appreciate it if you gave me SOME credit for actually answerin'. But what's going on, though? Tails said it was urgent."

The other end of the line was radio silent, until Amy's voice pierced through, **"W-Well… it's about lunch today with Rouge—"**

"OH HEY! How is Knuckie doin' with Rouge? They came back from their honeymoon a while ago, right? God, I wish I went to the Bahamas…"

"**Yeah, y-yeah, but um, anyway—"**

"Wait… How long have they've been back? I've been messaging Knuckles like crazy and he hasn't even bothered getting back to me… Asshole, am I right?"

"**He's been working! But yeah, Rough told me something interesting today—"**

"She didn't try to get ya to move in with her again, did she? You need to nip that in the bud already and let her know you're taken care of! By me, of all people."

"**Sort of, b-but that wasn't the reason for the talk, can you just…" **Sonic blinked as he heard Amy sigh slowly, **"I'm just gonna need you to listen to me for a second."**

He sat upright in his seat, setting down his pen and shooing Tails from his office.

"… Okay. Can you just tell me what's going on? You're freaking me out."

Another long pause came through the line until: **"Rouge told me that Maria's passed and that her funeral is going to be held here in Central City."**

Sonic removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disbelief, "You're kiddin' me… Maria, of all people? … Man… She was… She was somethin' else. That's horrible news."

"**S-So… because her funeral's here, that mean's everyone's going to be coming," **she continued. **"And by everyone… I also mean Shadow will be coming."**

Amy held her breath. '_Oh, God, don't be mad, don't be mad, don't be mad—'_ "I just hope that's okay! Since, you know… Maria's passing kind of warrants him to be there."

Sonic stayed quite on the other end, giving her the same treatment from earlier. Amy twirled a lock of her hair out of nervousness, "I just wanted to let you know so we can talk about this and be on the same page."

"**It's fine," **he finally said.

'_Shit, he's mad'. _"Y-You're not upset about this, are you? I mean, she was his—"

"**I'm okay, Ames. Why wouldn't I be? He's just coming to pay his respects and leave right after, right? Not like he's gonna stay here. Relax. It's fine."**

Amy's heart, which was ready to burst out of her chest minutes ago began to settle, "Really? O-Okay… that's good to hear… because the way Rouge said it, it seemed as though we were just gonna ice him out through the funeral—"

"**The guy's girl just died, Ames. We're not terrible people." **_'Jeez, way to make me out to be the bitch.'_

"O-K! Just making SURE since you're the one that's usually bothered by Shadow, so…" she rebutted. Another pause.

"… **Right. Because I'm the one that usually has a temper tantrum at the mention of his name, even in a regular sentence?"**

"Are you really doing this to me, right now? Why are you being such an asshole?"

"**I'm just throwing the same energy back 'atcha. If you don't like it, then maybe you shouldn't be playing these games with me."**

Amy's face formed a scowl, her hands trembling in rising anger, "Well, I just wish you didn't have to say it like that; as though I AM just some horrible person that's just worried about archaic DRAMA."

"**No one's saying that at all. I'm just saying that we can put aside our differences for a time and just be there for the guy. No one's said anything like that about you, chill out."**

Amy was about to reply until she heard a slam on the other end, with voices flooding the line, **"Shit, okay, I got to go, Ames. I have some very angry writers wondering where their revisions are at. I'll see ya later."**

She maintained a grip on her phone even after she heard him hang up. All she wanted to do was to be open, but all she got were smart-ass responses. "I don't even know why I thought it was a good idea to even call him," she said aloud, sitting down on her love seat again. "Why does he always make me feel like I'm the problem? Seriously…"

She sat still for a moment, glancing at her phone yet again. _'I'm not the problem. I'm not conceited.' _She scrolled through her contact list and tapped the number of her choice.

'_I wish people stopped thinking that I didn't care'._

After the dial tone connected her, she breathed in and smiled.

"… Hey, Shadow. It's me."

'_Even if it's him. I have to care about him a little, even after all these years.'_

_Author's Note: Another chapter! A short one, but it was only because it was nothing but one long ass phone call between these two hedgies. I'll just have ya know that it hurt me writing these dialogues. Totally not because these conversations happened to me iRL at some point... Of course not. .; I was struggling for the longest time on what I wanted Sonic's job to be. I wanted something interesting, something that really wasn't done before, so I decided on him being an editor for a local paper! What's funny is that it all fits pretty well, considering that it's totally not like him to sit at a desk and correct stories, but that's why I think it works well to begin with. I wanna play around with the roles of these characters and put them in situations they've never been in before~ Isn't that the benefits of writing fanfiction? :3 Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed!_


	3. Chapter 3: Homecoming

_Author's Note: Hello there, it's me again! It's been quite some time since our last update again, but here I am ... again. I finally bought a new laptop so it's not so laggy to upload anymore. I haven't been in touch with my writing in a while, but I now have a surge of energy to do so now, so I present to you, a short but new installment of 'Reflecting Light'._

**Chapter 3: Homecoming**

Shadow had finished packing the remainder of his things.

After receiving news upon Maria's passing, it had taken him a while to remove himself from the bar, but even when he did, he remained out. It was 6 AM when he arrived back to his dimly lit apartment, and all he was able to do was shuffle towards his office and collapse into his desk chair. His tastes were reflected within his home, from his diplomas to satellite and space exploration maps that decorated the walls. His large office where he resided in for most of his time were encased between four bookshelves filled with further information regarding cosmology and classic literature that served as his leisure when he wasn't in his office, but in this scenario, they were just mere things to him. Matter that only existed, and gave no further purpose besides providing an aesthetic.

He ran his fingers through his desk drawer's handle, and in an instinctive motion, he pulled out one of his prized possessions: his 1930s gilded art deco lighter. A gift. He gazed at it for a moment, breathing in his metallic aroma and breathed in a sigh before lighting his cigarette before inhaling. It was a classic in his collection, and the only reason it was even in his collection was because of Maria. It was a gift upon his arrival to the university; Maria had apparently pulled strings with a collector to part with it, and ever since, he never made it known but… it was an absolute beauty. But even without saying anything, Maria knew. She knew that what he liked, what he disliked… how hard he had worked for his position. She, out of anyone he knew, understood him in a way no one else could, and now that she was gone… what could be done? Was there anything he could he had done? Should he have visited her more? He should have visited her more—

_'Shit. Here comes the regret.'_

Hours had begun to make its rounds, as he continued to sit there in the same stance, only to light up another cigarette once he had finished the last. He inhaled, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as though to hold back any residual tears that might be left over from his walk back home. He breathed out another puff of smoke before his phone began to ring once more. It had already rung more than once before; concerned colleagues and his assistants wishing him obligatory condolences, but he did not care about any of that. He just wanted to be left alone within the confines of his office, only allowing small traces of light to beam through his long dark curtains that sit against his wall. Even though he knew it was probably best to ignore the call, he turned his screen over and to his surprise, it was not anyone insufferable.

Amy Rose.

That name was enough to give him a combination of goosebumps and a headache.

He released a deepened sigh before releasing a chuckle, "… She sure has impeccable timing."

Shadow placed his cigarette on the ashtray next to him, combed some stray long black quills back away from his eyes, and slid open his phone to answer.

"Hello?"

"… **Hey, Shadow. It's me."**

'_There it is. That small voice.'_

"… It's been a while, Amy. How are you?"

'_And in comes the awkward small talk.'_

"**I-I've been okay… Just been working… No big deal, really… What have you been up to?"**

'_It certainly has been a while, has it?'_

"I work as a professor here in Metropolis."

"… **That's right… You finally did it, huh?"**

Shadow leaned back in his chair while fiddling with one of his pens, "… What do you want, Amy?"

He heard a soft grunt on the other line, then silence. It was mind-numbingly awkward.

'_Better to be upfront about it now.'_

"… **I… heard about what happened with Maria. How are you?"**

Shadow felt the heat rise in his cheeks, not out of anger, but out of some form of strange relief. He had not spoken to Amy in almost three years now, and the distance was a bit taxing. Reaching out would've only been inappropriate considering the circumstances between everyone, but he didn't want anyone to know that he had noticed. He just wanted to exit quietly and allow the world to continue turning without having to deal with any more of what had already been done.

"Yes. She passed peacefully in her sleep just the other night."

"**I'm… so sorry to hear that. I know how much she… meant to you."**

'_Saying that must've killed her.'_

"Yeah, well… what can you do. It was only a matter of time, right?"

He heard Amy let out a gasp, **"Don't say things like that! She's done so much for us… for all of us. We're here for you, Shadow. For whatever you need."**

' "_We"? … Ah. That damn bat.'_

"Rouge sure knows how to spread the word, doesn't she?"

"**She's just worried about you. Look… I know we had a situation in the past, but… I just want you to know that Sonic and I are sincere about our condolences."**

'_Are they, now?'_

"Well, you two needn't worry so much, anyway. I'm heading back to Central City for the funeral for a week, then after that… I'll be gone."

'_Can I sound any more melodramatic?'_

"**Shadow, please. We care about you. We're being serious here—we want to be there for you, so we will. Please don't turn us away."**

Shadow sighed once more. He knew it was nothing more but an obligatory statement. He just wanted it to be over with. "Okay. Thank you."

Amy sighed in relief over the line, "… That's great. When will you be coming, if I may ask?"

He quietly sat his pen down before releasing a small chuckle.

_'So formal.'_

He found the energy to rise from his seat. He grabbed his keys and a few of his bags in which he packed his things, then started making his way towards the door. "I'm already out the door now. I'll be there in a few hours."


End file.
